Electric heating



(No Model.)

0. S. BRADLEY. ELECTRIC HEATING.

No. 558,714. Patented Apr. 21, 1896. P M l I MW!!! .H! I 17 M -I'r Huh" II" 14 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES S. BRADLEY, OF AVON, NEV YORK.

ELECTRIC HEATING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,714, dated April 21, 1896.

Application filed A st 22, 1891. Serial No. 403,499. No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Avon, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Heating; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in electric heating, and involves a system of apparatus by which all of the electrically-developed heat may be utilized and a continuous supply of fresh air maintained in the apartment to which the heater is applied.

Generally in heating systems where electricity is the source of heat a resistance device is employed which develops heat under the passage of current, which either radiates the heat directly or imparts it to some good heat-conducting medium, as water, by which the heat is communicated to the surrounding H ll.

Among the present modes of commercially developing electricity steam is the most economical, and yet not more than ten per cent. of the energy of the coal is yielded in elastic energy of steam, so that with the losses of conversion into electrical energy and conduction to the point of use, added to the loss of rcconversion by resistance devices, there re sults a very low value of the heat produced by such a method in proportion to that realized when coal is used directly as the source of heat. The losses of conversion and conduction do not promise much reduction in the present refined condition of electrical apparatus with steam as the prime generator.

It is important, therefore, in any electrical system of heating that the heat developed by the resistance device be applied in a manner to utilize it to the greatest extent. My invention aims at such a result by bringing all of the air of an apartment into contact with a source of heat, redistributing the warmed air in the apartment at a uniform temperature, and finally discharging it from the apartment in such a way that a large portion of its heat will be imparted to an incoming supply of fresh air.

The features of novelty will be hereinafter more fully set forth in the specification, and then definitely indicated in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a partial section and part elevation of an apparatus adapted to carry out my invention, the circuits being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional View of a regenerating-chainher, the plane of section being taken on the line a; a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical heat-generator, taken on the line y y of Fig. l; and Fig. l is a diagram of a switch, showing how more or less of the resistance may be cut into circuit to vary the degree of heat.

2 represents an electric supply-circuit connected with the apparatus by binding-posts.

In a suitable portion of a metallic case is placed a resistance device 3, which may be of German-silver or other wire, supported in spirals or other arrangement across the interior of the chamber, so as to be in the path of the current and offer sufficient resistance to develop the required amount of heat. Broken carbon or other resisting material might be used instead of the wire.

As shown in the drawings, the wires are arranged in rows and the ends are connected so that the several rows Will be in series relation. The wire is insulated from the case, as, for example, by being mounted on porcelain or other insulating blocks.

Within the case are a series of metallic tubes 4, preferably formed of sheet metal and arranged side by side, with intervening airspaces on all sides. The spaces between the several tubes and those between the tubes and the outer case are closed at each end of the case from communication with the outside air by diaphragms o 5". The tubes open into a chamber 6 at one end, said chamber connectingwith a pipe 7, communicating with a fan or blower S, tending'to force the air in the direction indicated bythe arrow 9. The tubes open into chamber 10 at the other end of the case, which communicates through a pipe 17 with the air outside of the apartment. The spaces between the tubes are in open communication on one side through a pipe 12 with the air outside of the apartment, and on the other side with a fan or blower 13, con- IOO necting with a pipe 14:, tending to force the air in the direction of the arrow 15. The blowers are preferably operated by an electric motor 16. Both blowers maybe conveniently operated by the same motor. As shown in the drawings, the armature-shaft is lengthened and the fans mounted directly thereon. The apartment in which the heater is placed should be closed so that the air will be forced to make a complete circuit through the heater, the places of entering and exit being by way of pipes 12 and 17 but by using two blowers, one communicating with the induction-pipe and the other with the eduction-pipe, the apparatus will conserve the heat of the outgoin g air, whether the windows and doors of the apartment or building are open or closed, a result which of course could not followif but one blower were employed, since in such a construction the two lines of circulation through the regenerator would not be insured.

Let us now suppose a current to pass over the circuit 2, and the motor 16 to be thrown into operation by closure of its supply-circuit. A current of air from the outside will be drawn into pipe 17 and forced over the heating device in the resistance-chamber. The latter under the influence of the current is heated and will communicate its heat to the air passing over it. This warmed air is discharged through the bell 18 into the apartment near the floor, and in rising, by reason of being lighter than the cooler air, imparts heat to the air it displaces.

After the apparatus has been in operation for a short time the warm air near the ceiling is drawn into bell 19 and forced through the spaces around the tubes 45, which latter being a good conductor of heat are quickly warmed. The air then passes into pipe 12 and is discharged through it outside of the apartment. It will thus be seen that the warmed air be fore being discharged is caused to part with a large portion of its heat, which is communicated by the tubes at to the fresh and cool air flowing through the tubes on. its course into the apartment. The discharging hot air thus raises the temperature of the incoming air and the latter reaches the heating-surface of the resisting material at a temperature which will require less heat to be imparted to it to bring it up to the proper degree than would be the case if it were not so warmed. Not only are a uniform temperature and therough ventilation throughout the apartment maintained by this procedure, but the heat energy developed by the electricity is eflicientlyconserved, and electric heating becomes a possible competitor with the ordinary methods where such a method of circulation is not practicable, for the reason that poisonous gases would charge the air if the latter were carried directly over the surface of combustion, and for the additional reason that the agency which supplies the heat cannot be used conveniently to operate blowers and give the necessary circulation.

The heating and regenerating device may be placed in any convenient portion of the room it is to heat, or may be placed in another room, if desired, and the pipes led to the chamber where heat is wanted.

A switch may be used to cut into the electric circuit more or less of the heating-coils, as maybe desired. Such a device is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. l, where the several rows of wires are indicated as connected in series, so that an electric switch thrown over a series of contacts at one side will switch any desired number of rows into the circuit. The economy of such a system as that described results from the convenience with which a blower may be actuated by the same source of energy which develops the heat,

thus permitting a constant circulation of the heating air and a uniform distribution of the heat, so that a smaller total output of heat will be required than in cases where a poor circulation is effected.

3y the action of the apparatus every cubic foot of air which enters the apartment is forced to traverse the heating-surface and before leaving the apartment after having subserved its function in connnunicating warmth thereto is utilized in raising the temperature of the incoming air.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, an d desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A system of electric heating comprising a heater and regenerator containing a resistance to be heated by an electric current, a conduit for leading the fresh air to the heater, a pipe for discharging it into an apartment, a pipe for discharging the air from the apartment over the walls of the conduit, an electric motor and two blowers communicating with the induction and eduction pipes, respectively, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. BRATHAEY. Witnesses:

WM. J. LENNART, O. J. MOLAIN. 

